


Out of the Blue

by Hollyspacey



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-04
Updated: 2016-01-04
Packaged: 2018-05-11 15:11:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5631100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hollyspacey/pseuds/Hollyspacey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It doesn't make sense that a certain color could shape your entire life. Especially when you can't even see it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Out of the Blue

**Author's Note:**

> My contribution to the Fandom for Rainne fundraiser, and also my first attempt at a soulmate AU. Hope you enjoy!

When Steve was little, not seeing a color was the least of his problems. He had a veritable laundry list of ailments: asthma, scarlet fever, rheumatic fever, a cornucopia of heart problems. You name it, he probably had it.

There was always the chance that he wouldn’t live long enough to meet his soulmate, so he had learned early on not to spend too much time or energy worrying about it. Not to mention that up until the serum, his vision was not the best, and colors in general were pretty hazy. He was never 100% sure which of the colors he couldn’t see was the one that held his fate.

After the serum, it was revealed that, yes, he could now see green and brown as well as other colors, and they didn’t look nearly as murky as he’d always thought. And now in his new body, he was stronger, faster, as physically perfect as he was engineered to be.

But he still couldn’t see blue.

He was healthy for the first time ever, and it seemed he might actually get the chance to meet his soulmate.

Then Bucky fell, and he was pulled away from Peggy and sent into the ice. His last conscious moments were spent wondering where he’d gone wrong to have lost everyone who’d meant something to him, as well as the chance at meeting the one he was destined to be with.

Of course, then he’d been deiced and woke up in the future. Most every day, he felt lost and confused and so, so angry at the hand he’d been dealt. There was a disconnect between himself and this new life. It seemed to him that the world had simply traded in his war for another one, and for the first time in his life, he didn’t feel the need to jump in on the fight.

And as if the loss of everyone and everything he’d ever known wasn’t enough, he’d look into the mirror, see the lack of color in his eyes, and find something new to be angry about. He felt that whoever was meant to be his soulmate was long gone by now, and if they were not, he didn’t want to think about meeting someone in this brand new world.

After New York happened, he realized that he couldn’t sulk forever. He had a duty to everyone who had helped make him who he was to do as much as he could. So, he threw himself into his work, determined to forget about the pair of blue eyes that were possibly out there, waiting on him.

***

Darcy had known from a very young age what color her soulmate’s eyes would be. They were the same as the ones that stared back at her in the mirror. The same color as her parents’ eyes, and her little sister’s.

Growing up, her mother and father told her of the moment they’d first seen each other, and the explosion of a color they could never have even imagined. Even as a child, they would stare at her with fond looks on their faces, calling her their ‘blue-eyed miracle.’

Blue was important to her, even though she had no idea what it actually looked like.

Her sister went to school on the first day of first grade and came home crying because that day a boy had pushed her down on the playground and now she could see the sky. They’d gotten married the year after high school, and were immensely happy, with their own blue-eyed baby.

Darcy grew up watching her friends and classmates find their other halves. It was a small town, and by the time she graduated, more than half of them had paired up. But Darcy went off to Culver still unable to see blue. As was habit, for the yet-paired souls, Darcy met everyone’s eyes when speaking to them, always aware that this one could be the one.

New Mexico happened, where she met Jane and formed an instant bond. And her life was normal, until a crazy homeless guy falling from the sky brought Jane a new color and confirmation of her life’s work, and brought Darcy into the fold of something bigger than herself.

Then he left. Just like that.

Jane cried over him for two years, lost parts of herself that she was ashamed to admit, and the whole true-love-soulmates thing got a little tarnished for Darcy. Suddenly, finding her mythical other-half didn’t seem important. The universe was so much bigger and more exciting than she ever could have guessed. It just didn’t make sense to wait and hope for someone who might not even show up, or if they did, might not even stay.

And then Thor came back, of course bringing war and destruction, because he was Thor and those things tended to happen around him. And this time he stayed. Stayed for Jane, and his love of Midgard, his devotion to its protection. When Tony Stark invited them all to come stay in his Tower, it seemed the logical next step. London was so 2014, and now that the convergence was over, they had little reason to stay.

Which brought Darcy to where she was now, standing in her very own apartment in the Avengers Tower. _How was this even her life?_ She was going to be living with legit superheroes and everything.

Darcy had already unpacked a few of her boxes when Thor came by to invite her to come to lunch. Tony had ordered in massive amounts of food, and he expected everyone to come.

When she and Jane followed Thor into the common room, she took a quick glance around at everyone. It was so weird seeing the very people she’d seen on the news and on t-shirts standing in front of her. She was introduced to Tony and Pepper, the former being mostly distracted by his science boner for Jane. Then Bruce came over and joined the conversation.

Darcy nudged Jane as Captain America came their way. She’d spotted him the moment they’d walked into the room and he was just as dreamy as she’d imagined. Thor pushed Jane forward, beaming down at her in pride as he introduced her to Steve, gushing about her intelligence and bravery.

He then stepped aside so Darcy could step forward to meet the Captain, “And this, Steven, is Darcy. She is my dear Jane’s closest and most loyal friend, and also a noble warrior in her own right.” Darcy grinned up at Thor, rolling her eyes, before facing forward to meet Steve’s eyes-

It was an explosion. That was the way everyone had always described it. A shocking, overwhelming burst of something brand new, and a moment where you were completely taken away by the new color you were seeing. _That’s exactly how it feels_ , Darcy thought, _an explosion. I’ve been obliterated._

They stared at each other, mesmerized by what they were seeing. A soft, “Oh,” fell from Darcy’s lips.

Steve just stared at her in wonder. “So that’s what blue looks like,” he murmured.

Darcy struggled to find words. She was overwhelmed. Her mouth curved up into an ecstatic grin, “Hello, soulmate.”

His face lit up as he returned her greeting, “Hello. I’ve waited a very long time for you.”

“Me too.”

“You’re perfect.”

A small laugh bubbled out of her, “You too. I can’t believe Captain America is my soulmate”

“Steve. You can call me Steve.”

She nodded, “Steve. You can call me Darcy.”

“Darcy.” He said her name like he’d never heard anything so beautiful.

Darcy let out a squeal and grabbed Steve’s hand, pulling him to the window. They both stopped in their tracks as they took in the brilliant blue of the sky, the deep cobalt of the water in the distance.

Darcy could feel her eyes fill with tears, it was all so beautiful. She felt she would never get bored of this. Steve’s hand tightened around hers, and she dared a glance over to him. They looked into each other’s eyes again, and Darcy tentatively touched the side of his face, leaning up to see him even closer, “Look at you.” He smiled and leaned into the touch.

Their shared reverie was broken by the sounds of the others in the room, Tony shrieking about the party he was going to have to plan, Jane and Pepper whispering excitedly, and Thor’s voice proclaiming that he, “heartily approved this fine match.”

It seemed the whole room was buzzing with the excitement at Darcy and Steve finding each other, but there was nothing Darcy wanted more than to spend some time with her soulmate.

Steve must have agreed, for he clasped her hand between his and murmured, “You wanna go somewhere quieter?” She nodded and he began leading her out of the room, Darcy mouthing, “I’ll call you later,” as she passed Jane.

They stood beside each other in the elevator, hands still clasped. It was weird, Darcy had just shared the most intimate moment of her life with this man and yet she barely knew him. She glanced up at him and he gave her a small, hesitant smile. “This is so weird.” He chuckled softly in response.

When they arrived at the right floor, Steve led her to a door to the left. She followed him inside and realized that it was his apartment. He gave her a sheepish smile, “I hope you don’t mind. I just had to get away from all of that. I thought Tony was gonna wet himself in the excitement.”

“No, it’s fine. I think he and Thor have started fighting about what to name our first-born, though.”

“Lord, help us.”

They grinned at each other a moment, and Darcy gestured around, “So, this is your apartment?”

He nodded, leaning against the arm of the couch. Darcy wandered around his living room, glancing out at the sky with a small smile. Nope, that would never get old.

Her attention was pulled to the side where a small table was set up with art supplies. She glanced at him for permission, and at his nod, she walked over and flipped through his sketches.

Drawings of old buildings and scenery interspersed with new buildings. A few of the small park near the Tower. Images of people in uniforms and vintage outfits, most of them of the same few people. Those in particular looked like they’d been lovingly drawn, “You’re really good.”

“Thank you.”

She gave a soft chuckle as she pulled out some paints. “Looks like you can use these now,” she gestured to the unopened tubes. He walked over and took them from her hands, looking at the shades of blue he’d optimistically purchased before he even knew what they were.

A shy smile appeared on his face as he gazed down at the girl who’d made it possible for him to see these colors, “Would it be alright if I were to draw you?”

“Yes, absolutely.”

At her words, he lit up, “Ok.”

“We can do it now if you want.”

“Yes. I mean, if you don’t mind, of course.”

Darcy shook her head, “I don’t mind. Where do you want me?”

“Oh, anywhere. Wherever you feel comfortable.”

She glanced around the whole room, then hopped over to perch on the armchair near the window, watching as Steve laid out his supplies. Soon he was sitting across from her, studying her intently.

“Should I, like, pose or something? No one’s ever drawn me before.”

“No, just be natural. You are beautiful, no need to pose or anything.”

Darcy watched as he ducked his head to hide the slight flush that had covered his face at his words. She curled her feet beneath her, body inclined towards the window so she could look out.

“Perfect,” Steve murmured as he started sketching. Darcy tried to be still, but she found herself glancing over at him from time to time. Eventually he caught her, the corners of his lips tilting up, “You don’t have to be perfectly still. I’m just shading in details now, anyway.”

Darcy took this to mean that she could make faces at Steve while he was drawing. After a particularly lovely cross-eyed scrunch face, he laughed,

“I’m definitely going to draw that face one day.”

“You better not.”

“Oh yes, I will,” he tapped the side of his head, “It’s in here now. As an artist, I have to draw what I see.”

Darcy stuck her tongue out, “And here I was thinking about offering to pose like one of your French girls.”

Steve gave a little cough, “I understood that reference.”

Darcy just grinned and turned back to face the window, “Good.”

A few minutes later, Steve stood and walked over to Darcy, turning his sketchpad so she could see. A soft gasp fell from her lips, “Oh, Steve.”

She looked beautiful, a serene smile on her lips, and a spark of laughter in her eyes. Her body soft and feminine like a pinup, her hair haloing her head. And all of this in shades of blue. Darcy looked up to lock eyes with Steve, “I love it.”

“You can have it if you want.” He tore the page out carefully and handed it to her.

“Thank you, Steve.”

“No, thank you. I haven’t drawn a lot of people lately, the ones I do are from before. You’re the first person I’ve met since the ice that I’ve wanted to draw.” The words had spilled out of him, and Darcy felt something warm flow through her body.

She understood that he was telling her that he could see why she was the one who the universe had chosen to be his soulmate. That she was the one he’d waited so long for, and that it had been totally worth it.

Darcy gave him a grateful smile and wrapped her arms around his waist, saying a silent ‘thank you’ to the fates that he was hers, glad that every terrible moment they’d both experienced had brought them to this moment. When they broke apart, Steve tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked at her seriously, “I’m sure that Tony has some grand party planned, but I’d like to take you out on a date. A proper date.”

“There’s nothing I’d like more.”

“Ok, good.”

The next day when Steve stopped by her apartment to pick Darcy up for their date, he would see that she’d cheekily bought a fake Captain America shield to hang in her living room.

A few dates later, he’d see that she’d framed the picture he drew of her and placed it right beside her bed.


End file.
